The Beginners’ Guide to RV Rental for Your Extra Income

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rv rental guide

With international borders closed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic since the start of 2020, there has been a steady demand for RV rentals as travelers turn to domestic travel.

Along with the increased demand also came an increase in the number of people dipping their toes into the world of RV rental businesses. If you’re wondering, “can you lease an rv?”, the good news is that now’s the best time to do it.

With that in mind, it can be difficult to start when you don’t know anything about an RV rental business. Where to list your rental? How much to price the rental for? Read on for answers to these questions in our comprehensive guide for beginner RV rental owners.

1. Getting Your RV Listed

The first thing to do when you decide you want to rent out your RV is to create a listing for it.

 

Choose from well-known rental sites so that you can rest easy knowing you have comprehensive insurance coverage on your RV during the rental period. So, you won’t have to worry over forking out extras should an accident occur.

The site offers a good user guide as to how you can get your RV listed, so it’s rental foolproof!

2. Have Excellent Photos in Your Listing

When creating your listing, be sure to include good photos.

By this, we mean photos that are taken in a well-lit condition, are sharp and crisp, and are well-framed.

Photos are what catch the eyes of customers, and they must be attractive enough to get people to view your listing out of the many listings available.

 

3. Include Lots of Details

Be sure to include lots of details about your RV within the listing.

Rather than saying “RV for rental”, consider saying “six bedder RV for rent”. Rather than stating that your RV “comes with amenities”, state that “Toiletries and basic snacks are included”.

The more the detail, the better the chance you have that people will make a booking. This is because, they can better envision what it will be like to rent your RV. Be creative when it comes to writing your description!

4. Go the Extra Mile and Have Add-ons

Who doesn’t love an all-inclusive vacation? While it may not be the norm for RV rentals, doing so means that your rental will stand out amongst the hundreds of RV rental listings.

It is better to charge a slightly higher price for everything included such as lawn chairs or beanbags and laundered bedsheets. Of course, you could have an optional add-on charge for premium add-ons such as fishing poles or kayaks.

 

Be sure to write these all down in your listing so people know that they are available!

5. Have a Calendar of When Your RV is Available for Rent

Once your listing is complete, you should create an availability calendar. This can easily be done on sites such as Google Calendars.

Block out the days that the RV will not be available for rent. For instance, when you are using it yourself or when you bring it for maintenance.

The remaining days will be easily seen as available for rent, so customers can make their booking on a date suitable for them.

6. Ask for Reviews From Satisfied Customers

Once you’ve done the above steps, your listing is ready for public viewing! A bonus guide and tip to get more people to view and eventually book your RV rental is to get reviews from satisfied customers.

 

Word of mouth has been deemed the most reliable form of advertisement by reputable research agencies, so you should be sure to follow their advice.

Ask past customers for reviews of their experience. If they are reluctant to do so, you could always offer a return discount in exchange for a stellar review of their trip with your RV.

7. Make a Detailed Rental Guide Book for RV Renters

It can be overwhelming to drive an RV for the first time. Hence, it is important that you come up with a detailed rental guidebook to help your customers get the best out of their experience.

This guide book should be made available for download on your listing page, and a hardcopy provided within the RV when the rental takes place. It should include things such as the type of fuel used, or tips on how to park the RV in a tight lot.

As a bonus, you could also have it in video form. Since that is more digestible than a mere text guide.

 

8. Be Contactable During Rentals

Even with the guide book and videos, there is always a chance that your customers will need help with the RV throughout their rental. This is especially so for first-time RV drivers.

You should try to be available for phone calls at the very least on the first day of the rental. This not only ensures a good experience for your customers but could also be the difference between a damaged RV or one returned in good condition.

Of course, it is also good customer service to be available to answer queries, and this could well earn you a great review!

9. Make Sure to Clean and Sanitize in Between Rentals

With the onset of the pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure that your RV is cleaned and sanitized well between each rental.

When the RV is returned, you should have a checklist on hand for a cleaning routine. This should include cleaning out the storage, the bedding, and the toilets.

 

During this time, you could also open out all the windows to air out the RV to prevent bad odors from being trapped, and to air out the RV. Consider providing sanitizers within the RV rental as well. This helps to ensure that the RV won’t be touched by dirty grimy hands.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many points to consider when you want to rent your RV out. However, the potential profit it can bring you is immense. If you feel ready and up to it, then give our tips a go today!

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